Summary

  • Updates on Friday 15 June

  1. London's weather: Fog to clear but dull and mild daypublished at 08:29 Greenwich Mean Time 3 March 2021

    BBC Weather

    This morning, any areas of mist and fog will gradually clear. It will be a dull day with showers pushing in from the southwest, which could be heavy at times.

    Another mild day with light winds.

    Maximum temperature: 10 to 13°C (50 to 55°F).

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  2. Paramedic and PC find love in chicken shop calloutpublished at 00:01 Greenwich Mean Time 3 March 2021

    A paramedic and a Met officer have become engaged after meeting on a 999 callout at a chicken shop.

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  3. 'UK's first' LGBT retirement community to openpublished at 18:52 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2021

    Residents will be offered events and activities aimed at "celebrating LGBT identities".

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  4. West London scientists design 'world's first recyclable cling film'published at 16:49 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2021

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    Scientists at a west London hub for innovation say they have designed the world’s first plastic cling film which can be recycled and biodegrades in under a year.

    The team at Polymateria, a pioneering start up at Imperial College’s White City campus, has created a thin flexible plastic which breaks down in 226 days.

    It can be used as cling film as well as for bags to store food and packaging.

    Polymateria said their new product can help reduce waste and already a fashion house, Pour les Femmes, set up by House of Cards actress Robin Wright, plans to use it to protect clothes deliveries to shops and customers.

    The company’s boss, Neil Dunne, said: “For too long, it has been assumed that biodegradable material cannot also be recycled. Our technology is changing perceptions. Products containing our technology should be recycled as a matter of priority, but any items escaping the system will return to nature at the right time without causing any harm.”

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  5. Venison donated to London food charitypublished at 16:14 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2021

    A large supply of deer meat is available because of overpopulation caused by restaurant closures.

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  6. Police seize machine pistols in London suburbpublished at 14:58 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2021

    Forty rounds of ammunition were also recovered after the arrest of a 19-year-old man.

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  7. Taylor Wimpey allocates £125m for cladding repairspublished at 14:23 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2021

    The UK housebuilder sets aside more money to help bring buildings in line with latest regulations.

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  8. George Michael's ex-partner sought by policepublished at 14:09 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2021

    An arrest warrant has been issued for hairdresser Fadi Fawaz, who failed to turn up to court.

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  9. Student unable to read at 13 now studying for PhDpublished at 11:55 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2021

    William Carter, now studying in California, struggled academically until his dyslexia was diagnosed.

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  10. Unused new library at risk of being soldpublished at 09:13 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2021

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    An unused brand new library could soon be sold off by Croydon Council as it looks to save money amid its financial crisis.

    South Norwood Library is one of five earmarked for closure by the local authority. The others affected are Broad Green, Bradmore Green, Sanderstead and Shirley. This would mean reducing the total number of libraries in the borough from 13 to eight.

    As part of a £500,000 council plan, South Norwood Library was due to move from its current ‘outdated and inaccessible’ Lawrence Road site into a new space in Station Road, on the ground floor of Brick by Brick development Pump House.

    According to the website of the council-owned developer, all 14 of the flats have been reserved but the transition never happened as the building was not finished to the standard expected and would cost nearly £900,000 to make it suitable to be used as a library.

    'Sad situation'

    Councillor Oliver Lewis was asked about the future of the new library building at a virtual ‘save our libraries’ rally held by Croydon Unison.

    He said: “It is a really sad situation. It has been delayed and it hasn’t been handed over in the format that the library service was expecting, as a result there is significant cost in bringing it forward as a library and we are not able to do that at the moment.

    “It is a really prime spot in Station Road, who knows what is going to happen to it, if it’s not going to be used as a library then it could possibly be sold or leased. “

    Any decision about the future of assets is subject to what happens in the consultation.

    The borough’s library service costs £3.5 million and closing five would save just £500,000 a year.

    A public consultation of the future of libraries in the borough has been extended and will run until 14 March, external.

  11. London's weather: Dry, mild with sunshine laterpublished at 07:51 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2021

    BBC Weather

    Today will be a dry and mild day. The morning will be overcast, but cloud will clear in the afternoon to leave plenty of sunshine. Light winds.

    Maximum temperature: 11 to 14°C (52 to 57°F).

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  12. One in three miss out on preferred school choicepublished at 20:21 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2021

    One in three children in London missed out on a place at their top choice of secondary school, figures from the Pan London Admissions Board show, external.

    Across the capital's 33 boroughs, only 66% of families were given their first choice of secondary school this year - the equivalent to 62,453 children - compared with 68% last year.

    Hammersmith and Fulham had the lowest proportion of children receiving their top choice, at 57.5%, and in Greenwich 59.9% secured their first preference.

    'Stable'

    The fall in the number of first-choice places in some areas may have been caused partly by delays to grammar school tests amid Covid-19 disruption.

    Normally families are told their child's entry test score before the admissions deadline in October so they can decide whether to apply to the school.

    But this year many selective schools could not confirm places until after the deadline as they had to push back the tests in the autumn due to Covid-19.

    Elizabeth Campbell, London Councils’ executive member for Schools & Children's Services, said the figures have remained stable compared to last year, suggesting "the vast majority of families have been able to apply for their child’s school place despite challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic".

  13. Skylark population 'under threat due to Covid'published at 17:08 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2021

    It is feared that the increased number of park visitors in London is hastening the bird's decline.

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  14. Youth 'used sword' to kill at drug flat, jury toldpublished at 16:41 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2021

    The youth "looked around and smirked" after murdering 17-year-old Nasir Patrice, the court heard.

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  15. Terror accused made pro-IS posts 'for a thrill'published at 16:27 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2021

    Sahayb Abu tells the Old Bailey he was "pathetic" for putting pro-IS comments online.

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  16. Coronavirus cases in Londonpublished at 16:15 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2021

    Check how many cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in London.

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  17. Passengers say seven-hour Heathrow queues inhumanepublished at 15:57 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2021

    Travellers complain of having to queue for up to seven hours because of new Covid measures at border control.

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  18. The prosthetist fundraising for a bionic armpublished at 15:13 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2021

    Jim Ashworth-Beaumont needs the prosthetic after being involved in a cycling accident last year.

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  19. 'I'm quitting uni for my hand gel idea'published at 00:07 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2021

    University student Charles Robinson shares advice for young entrepreneurs who may feel inexperienced.

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  20. Paddington stab death victim 'cousin of murdered teen'published at 14:24 Greenwich Mean Time 28 February 2021

    Police found Ahmed Beker, 19, with fatal stab wounds on Paddington Green on Friday night.

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